Mairwen Baines
Mairwen Baines is a Welsh witch who graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 2097. She is the youngest child and only daughter of Owain Baines and Maris Baines (née Thornton), and has one older brother, Thornton Baines. Mairwen started her first year at Hogwarts in September 2090, where she was sorted into Slytherin house. She now works as an assistant to Herbologist Theodore Spore, at Spore's Research Centre for Herbology in Wales. Mairwen currently lives in Aberystwyth, Wales, and, as of December 2098, is in a relationship with pureblood Norwegian witch Katarina Imago. Personality and Key Characteristics Mairwen is, first and foremost, an extremely judgemental individual. She has high standards both for herself and for everyone around her, and becomes extremely disappointed when these standards are not met. Though it is particularly difficult to get to know Mairwen, if one were to manage to get on her good side and befriend her, they might discover a slightly sadder and more vulnerable aspect to her personality. Mairwen struggles with feeling like an outsider. She puts herself under enormous pressure to do well and never seems to live up to her own expectations, regardless of whether those she loves are proud of her. Despite her apparently unfriendly nature, Mairwen does crave friends and companionship, and though being her friend may not always be very rewarding (as she can't really switch off the judgemental side of her personality) she does soften slightly around those she is close to, and cares deeply for her friends and family. Interests and Abilities Herbology: '''Mairwen's aptitude for Herbology became clear the first time she ever attempted to subject. She has a natural green thumb and a genuine interest in all flora. Her ambition all through school was to eventually work with plants in some capacity, and she has so far achieved that goal in working as a Herbologist's assistant, though she plans to use her knowledge and experience to one day become a fully fledged Herbologist. '''Piano: Mairwen's parents wanted both of their children to learn an instrument, specifically an instrument of repute. Her brother Thornton plays the cello, while Mairwen began piano lessons at the age of four and, when she was young, progressed quickly through the grades. Though she practiced a lot while at Hogwarts, having long breaks between her lessons slowed Mairwen's progression through the grading system, but she reached grade eight at the age of fifteen. Potions: Just as she is talented in Herbology, Mairwen also excels in potion-making, and feels that these two abilities go hand in hand. She has a certain intuition about different ingredients, their properties, and their reactions. Though she does not lack for money, thanks to family connections, she does not need to buy her potions, as she can make them all with ease herself. Though her heart is in Herbology, Mairwen likely could have succeeded in pursuing a career as a Potions Mistress. History and Early Life Pre-Life and Early Life Both the Thornton and the Baines families value order, respect, and tradition. For almost one hundred years - since the Second Wizarding War - nobody from either family had attended Hogwarts, with the parents instead choosing to have their children homeschooled. The marriage of Maris Thornton (English pureblood) and Owain Baines (Welsh pureblood) was an arranged one, due to the family customs on both sides going back several generations. At the time of the arrangement, Maris was a professional concert cellist, and Owain managed the Baines family business with his brother Carwyn, which he continues to do. Before Mairwen was born, there was Thornton. Born on 23rd December 2072, Thornton Baines was named for his mother's original surname. After Thornton's birth, Maris left her orchestra and instead began giving cello lessons from their home. Mairwen was born just under six and a half years after Thornton, on 14th April 2079. Both children's education and day-to-day care was managed by their nanny/governess, Seren. Pre-Hogwarts From an early age, Mairwen was tutored privately at home in subjects such as etiquette, art, music, and ballroom dancing, as well as her preparatory magical education. Her schooling started at around the age of four. When she was five, Thornton left to start his first year at Hogwarts, leaving Mairwen without her favourite brother and primary friend. Life in the Baines household was structured, quiet, and proper. Nutrition was carefully monitored, with snacks being put out by at a set time every day, and sweets restricted to special events. Mairwen and her brother (when he was home) were expected to practice their instruments for at least an hour a day, and after meals the whole family would sit together in the library to read. When growing up, the children only interacted with other magical children that belonged to families with whom their parents were well-acquainted, in visits carefully orchestrated by their parents. It was in this way that Mairwen met Abraham Botros Jr., known as Abey, when she was six and he was five, shortly after Thornton had left for school. The two soon became fast friends. Even with this new friend, as well as the other children she interacted with on playdates, Mairwen grew lonely without having her brother around the house during term time. This was not to say that her parents had no time for her at all - they were even warm with her, privately, and in their own way - but there was something to be said about having a sibling around. Instead of dwelling on the absence of her brother, Mairwen continued to focus on her piano lessons, her other education, and being a well-mannered, proper young lady. Every now and then, over school holidays, Mairwen would meet some of Thornton's friends. Mairwen was thrilled (in a very composed way) when, for his sixth year, Thornton was privately tutored at home instead of going back to Hogwarts, though she was largely unaware of the reasons behind the decision - all she knew was that he was sad. Less than a year later, she turned eleven and received her own Hogwarts letter. Hogwarts First Year= First Year (2090 - 2091) Mairwen's first year of secondary education was to coincide with Thornton's last year, and he returned to Hogwarts from his homeschooling in order to be with her. When Mairwen arrived at Hogwarts she, like every other student, first had to go through the traditional Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat briefly considered both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for her, before sorting Mairwen decisively into Slytherin house. Also in Slytherin, as well as her dormitory, was Julie Bellaire, whom Mairwen instantly befriended. She also went through something of a culture shock upon being plunged into a school with all of these other children, few of whom (if any) shared her family's views on ettiquette, social roles, and respectability. While at school Mairwen discovered an aptitude for the practical aspects of both Herbology and Potions, though she had known from her preparatory magical education that her theoretical knowledge was already sound. She did well in all of her subjects and particularly in her end of year exams. Throughout the school year, Mairwen continued to practice the piano, with the aim of eventually reaching grade eight. |-|Second Year= Second Year (2091 - 2092) When Mairwen returned to Hogwarts for her second year, it was the first time she was without a family member nearby keeping an eye on her; Thornton had graduated at the end of the previous year. Mairwen was somewhat quiet because of this, but felt moderately liberated all the same. She was joined this year at Hogwarts by her childhood friend Abey, and was glad to have another friendly face around, even if that face was particularly miserable about his sorting. They spent a lot of time together throughout the year, keeping each other company. Mairwen continued to excel in school, particularly again in Herbology and Potions. However, her performance in her end of year exams was affected by her worry over Abey, who had been involved in a traumatic experience involving a monster, a kidnapping, and an alternate reality, and was recovering in the Hospital Wing. Nevertheless, Mairwen still achieved good passes in her exams, certainly good enough to progress to her third year. |-|Third Year= Third Year (2092 - 2093) Third year was relatively uneventful for Mairwen. The IMPS tournament was held at Hogwarts, and guests and participants from Ilvermorny visited the school and stayed through the year. Mairwen kept to herself for much of this time, preferring to focus on her studies rather than become too distracted by anything. The electives she decided to take were the arguably more cerebral options, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. |-|Fourth Year= Fourth Year (2093 - 2094) For Mairwen, fourth year seemed to be the year of witnessing constant public displays of affection (or hearing about them, which she judged all the same). She expressed horror and judgement at the antics of her peers, unable to understand why everyone cared so much about kissing each other. This year, Mairwen became quieter, feeling more and more isolated from her peers, and like she could relate more to Thornton and his sadness the older she got. When Mairwen did occasionally think about other people in terms of who she might want to kiss, she found her thoughts strayed to girls, and never to boys, whom she generally distrusted and disliked. Becoming more isolated meant Mairwen felt no guilt whatsoever in devoting all of her time to her studies and playing piano, the latter of which she had become highly accomplished at, achieving grade eight shortly after turning fifteen. |-|Fifth Year= Fifth Year (2094 - 2095) Mairwen spent much of the summer before fifth year staying with Julie. Once back at school, she continued to feel distant from the others, perhaps even more so, and found everyone else even more frustrating than usual. She continued to dislike boys and decided that she was definitely, one hundred percent, without a doubt, gay. As unimpressed as she was with the other students at Hogwarts, it was relatively easy for Mairwen to instead through herself into her studies. It was particularly important to do so that year, of course, as it was her OWL year. She was mildly distracted by the lingering sadness that still had hold of her, just as it had done with her brother in his own fifth year, but she forged ahead. At the end of the term, Mairwen sat her OWLs, feeling about as prepared as she was ever likely to be. |-|Sixth Year= Sixth Year (2095 - 2096) In the summer preceding her sixth year, Mairwen, along with the rest of her class, received her OWL results. Her average grade was Exceeds Expectations though she did, predictably, earn an Outsanding each in Herbology and Potions. Her lowest grade was an Acceptable in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Her parents were reasonably pleased with her results, particularly those in her favourite classes. Back at school, Mairwen had the option of dropping all of the classes she wasn't intending to take at NEWT level. She dropped Astronomy, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic, deciding that none of them would be beneficial to her in her ambition to become a Herbologist. Mairwen felt the same way about some of the subjects she was continuing too, but due to the pressure she still put on herself to do well in school, would not consider taking any less than six NEWTs. As her course load got heavier and more difficult, Mairwen didn't have much time for anything outside of studying. She would have liked her life to remain drama free, too, except she did end up in an argument with Julie (or, at least, what passed for an argument to the youngest Baines child, who was still very reserved in her emotional expression). Though there was no great lingering bad feeling between the girls, the incident certainly served as a significant distraction. Mairwen also tried to aid Abra (as Abey now liked to be known) in studying for his impending OWLs, but her friend was reluctant to acknowledge that the exams were as close as they were, and preferred to focus instead on Quidditch, in which he was now team captain. As Mairwen wasn't really the sort to persuade or cajole stubborn Gryffindors, she left him to it and focused on her own studies. Towards the end of the year, the grounds were invaded by Inferi, who had come to take back some treasure that had been recovered from the lake by some students and staff. Mairwen was inside the castle when it all happened, and wisely decided to stay put in her common room until it was over (when the treasure was returned to the Inferi and they went back into the lake). Abra and Julie were among those who were caught up in the attack and came very close to being seriously hurt or killed, but Mairwen was not aware of this until the aftermath, by which point she had already seen that both of them were (relatively) okay. Exams went on as normal in spite of the Inferi invasion, a fact which many of the students found mildly alarming. Mairwen was lucky in that she had no big exams that year, and also hadn't been caught up in or greatly affected by any of the major events of that term. |-|Seventh Year= Seventh Year (2096 - 2097) Mairwen's parents were reluctant to allow her to return to Hogwarts for her seventh year, given the events of the previous term. Though Mairwen was by now of age and free to do as she pleased, she still preferred to have her parents' blessing. Eventually they relented on the basis that Mairwen could make the decision for herself, and so she returned to Hogwarts for her seventh and final year. Her parents needn't have worried. A new Headmaster had arrived at Hogwarts, along with a new professor, both appointed by the Board of Governors, and they made it very clear that things were going to change. A new regime was being put into place. The first day after the feast, the whole school was woken up by a blaring alarm and announcement, summoning all of the students to the Quidditch pitch. There, they were told they would be running around the pitch multiple times every morning at dawn, as part of the newly implemented Special Obligatory Running Exercises (S.O.R.E.). Mairwen had never been an athletic person, choosing to devote her time instead to intellectual pursuits such as piano, Herbology, and her regular schoolwork, so running laps was a definite shock to the system. But, as Mairwen was not the type to openly defy authority, she did the laps and did not argue about it. The rest of the term was marked by stricter rules and harsh consequences for those who broke them. This did not trouble Mairwen very much, as she had been raised in an environment that valued order and respect, and so the regime was not such a shock. She also had no trouble following rules, and so did not once find herself in trouble, even accidentally - as so many of her classmates did. Though many disliked the regime at Hogwarts, Mairwen could not deny that it provided an atmosphere that was conducive to productive studying, which was of utmost importance for her that year as her NEWTs were approaching. While many of the students plotted ways to undermine or remove the new Headmaster (and his rapidly multiplying army of staff, who were being brought in as regular professors were fired), Mairwen once again buckled down on focused on her studies. At the end of the year, she sat her NEWTs. The End-of-Term Feast was the setting for the dramatic return of Headmistress Hawthorne, as well as all of the fired staff who, it transpired, had been disguised as transfer students and staying in the dormitories with some of the students all along. Most of the students were pleased that (relative) normalcy would be returning next term, but Mairwen was largely unconcerned. This feast was to be her last at Hogwarts, and marked her graduation from the school. The next day, she said her goodbyes to Hogwarts and took the Hogwarts Express back to London for the final time. Post-Hogwarts Soon after graduating from Hogwarts, Mairwen received her NEWT results. Once again, she achieved a majority of Exceeds Expectations, with Outstandings in Herbology and Potions, and another Acceptable, this time in Arithmancy. Now that she had her results, Mairwen wasted no time in looking for work in her field of interest. She had no interest in studying at Wizardin University, preferring to work her way up through the career ladder. Having excelled in Herbology and Potions all throughout school, Mairwen's main options were to become a Herbologist, a magical botanist, or perhaps a Potions Mistress. Her real ambition had always been to become a Herbologist, however, so she took initiative and contacted the society for Herbologists in the UK, who put her in touch with various Herbologists. Choosing one in Wales - Spore's Research Centre for Herbology, located in Aberystwyth - Mairwen forwarded her NEWT grades and a reference from one of her professors, and had no trouble procuring work as an assistant to Head Herbologist at the centre, Theodore Spore, who happened to be looking for someone to fill the position. For about a year, Mairwen continued to live at home while working at the research centre, though she did start searching for a place of her own to live. She moved out of the family home in mid-2098, to a house also in Aberystwyth. In December 2098, when she was 19, Mairwen was attending a party with her family, one of those which catered to pureblood members of high society. It was there that she met Katarina Imago, a 24 year old Norwegian witch from a reputable European pureblood family. The two spent most of the night talking together, and when the party was over, agreed to keep in touch. Within two weeks of meeting, Mairwen, who was usually so restrained and standoffish, entered into a relationship with Katarina. They are currently still seeing each other. Family Immediate Family= * Mother: Maris Baines (née Thornton) (b. 2045) * Father: Owain Baines (b. 2038) * Brother: Thornton Baines (b. 23rd December 2072) * Maternal grandmother: Euphemia Thornton (née Nowell) (b. 2021) * Maternal grandfather: Kenelm Thornton (b. 2018) * Paternal grandmother: Carys Baines (née Hier) (b. 2017) * Paternal grandfather: Urien Baines (b. 2008) |-|Extended Family (Paternal)= * Uncle: Carwyn Baines (b. 2041) |-|Extended Family (Maternal)= * Uncle: Warwick Thornton (b. 2042) * Aunt: Melisande Thornton (née Babineaux) (b. 2050) * Cousin: Adelaide Thornton (b. 11th June 2072) * Cousin: Nowell Thornton (b. 11th November 2074) Accolades, Achievements, and Qualifications OWLs= |-|NEWTs= |-|Other= * Grade 1 Piano - May 2085 (age 6) * Grade 2 Piano - July 2086 (age 7) * Grade 3 Piano - May 2087 (age 8) * Grade 4 Piano - April 2088 (age 8) * Grade 5 Piano - June 2089 (age 10) * Grade 6 Piano - July 2090 (age 11) * Grade 7 Piano - July 2092 (age 13) * Grade 8 Piano - April 2094 (age 15) Category:Pureblood Category:Characters Category:Class of 2097 Category:Slytherin Category:Alumni